eBook readers: Amazon Kindle vs. the rest

Which is the best value eBook reader: the Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Sony or iPad? Robert Powell reviews the electronic book line-up...

There’s something about a hardback that just forces you to read it. Unread hardbacks just seem to sit on the bookshelf staring at you, boring a hole into your head until you finally switch off the television and finish a chapter.

I can’t say electronic books (eBooks) have the same impact. But nevertheless sales of eReaders are on the up. Amazon now shifts more Kindle eBooks than their paper equivalents.

So how do digital books work, are they good value and which eReader should you go for?

eBooks

Late last year it was reported that the price of eBooks had rocketed after the major publishers came to an agreement to forbid retailers from discounting electronic books without their permission.

Tax is also an issue. In something of an anomaly, VAT is charged at the full 20% rate on eBooks while paper books are zero rated.

Consequently, eBook prices are actually fairly similar to their paper and hardback cousins; surprising when you consider that eBooks have no printing or transport costs. But on the flip side, most eReaders do have free titles available (usually classic novels), as well as heavily discounted and limited-period offer titles (Amazon often does 99p deals for example).

So how do eBook prices for each eReader compare? And how much will you have to shell out for the reader in the first place?

Kindle: £89 – £149

The Amazon Kindle is arguably the daddy of eReaders. The device comes in two versions: a wireless internet powered version (priced at £89) and a keyboard 3G version (£149). The obvious differences between the two models are the presence of a keyboard and an onboard 3G internet connection on the later. This connection is free (no contract or monthly fees) and allows you to download content anywhere, while the keyboard is designed for making side notes on the text.

The Kindle Keyboard also holds more books, at 3,500 compared to the Wi-Fi’s 1,400 limit. And it has a longer battery life, two months to one month.

In terms of a reading experience, the Kindle is an E-Ink device. This means that the text appears much like it does in a paper book, allowing you to read in bright sunlight without any glare from the screen. You’re also able to load newspapers, magazines and audio books onto both of the readers and share your downloaded books with iPads, iPhones, PCs/laptops and Android handsets.

But how do Kindle eBooks stack up on price?

Here’s a run-down of some of the top selling books on Amazon for Kindle compared to the paper versions:

According to the Amazon paper bestseller chart on 3 January 2012.

As you can see, overall there is little price difference between purchasing Kindle books and paper books.

The popular Stieg Larsson Millenium books are just as cheap in paper as on the Kindle, while a top Christmas 2011 title, the Steve Jobs autobiography, actually costs more in electronic form than it does in paper. What’s more, the paper version of this title is a hardback!

So what about other eReaders?

Kobo: £70 – £170

The Kobo is a new arrival on the eReader scene and something of a rival to Amazon’s Kindle. In terms of price the Kobo is on a similar footing as the Kindle, while the range of eBooks available is just as wide: there are over 2.2 million in total, including more than one million free titles.

The Kobo comes in a push-button only version (£69.99 at WH Smith), a touch screen version (£99.99) and a colour screen, multimedia ‘Vox’ version (£169.99). All three devices use Wi-Fi to download content.

The two cheaper readers can hold 1,000 eBooks with the option to expand using an SD memory card and are around the same size and weight as the Kindle. Battery life is also similar.

The cheapest Kobo reader also comes with 100 free classic books pre-loaded. And for those with multiple devices, Kobo eBooks can also be read on iPads and iPhones as well as Blackberry and Android phones.

The Kobo Vox is weightier and larger than its two siblings, but it does hold 8,000 books and has a battery life of seven hours (when Wi-Fi is off). This version is more similar to the iPad than the Kindle as it has video and music facilities as well as social networking apps.

So how do the eBooks stack up? Here’s my bestseller table again with the Kobo eBook prices in bold:

According to the Amazon paper bestseller chart on 3 January 2012.

So, Kobo eBooks are slightly pricier in places. But on the whole the difference is minimal, making the Kobo reader a perfectly good alternative to the Kindle.

Sony Reader PRS-T1 - £130

The PRS-T1 reader from Sony stacks up well spec-wise against the big Kindle and Kobo players. It has an E-Ink touch screen, a Wi-Fi connection, is around the same weight and size as its two competitors and has a similar battery life of around one month. However this Sony device is pricier than the Kindle and Kobo reader: Comet has it tagged at £130.

The reader is also not locked down to one eBook store, as Sony has not as yet launched its own eBook shop in the UK. This means that you’ll need to download titles to your PC from outside stores such as Waterstones and then transfer them onto the reader. This makes for a tad more hassle.

In terms of price, the Steve Jobs autobiography from ‘independent’ online eBook stores such as Waterstones costs around the same as the Kindle version, as do the Dukan Diet and Lorraine Pascale books. However the Stieg Larsson Millenium trilogy books are around twice the price, while Mark Forsyth’s The Etymologicon will set you back around £6-8.

iPad £399 - £659

The iPad is the priciest option for eBookers and yet the only device that’s not strictly speaking an eReader. For those that don’t know, the iPad is a magazine-sized tablet device that allows you to surf the web, play games, watch media, make video calls and read news and books on the move.

It is available in both Wi-Fi and 3G versions starting at £399. However, the 3G model does require a monthly subscription.

The iPad uses an LCD screen, meaning that the eBooks appear less akin to the paper versions when compared to designated E-Ink readers. However there is a snazzy page-turning graphic!

Price wise, the Steve Jobs autobiography and Dukan Diet eBooks are the same price as the Kindle (£12.99 and £4.99 respectively). However the Stieg Larsson trilogy books are twice the price, while the Mark Forsyth book is a huge eight times pricier in the iBook store. But you can download an Kindle app for your iPad for free and load Kindle titles onto the Apple device at Amazon's price.

But nevertheless, if you’re just after a basic eReader, shelling out several hundred pounds on an iPad is probably a bit extreme.

Your take

Do you like the idea of eBooks? Which eReader do you prefer?

Let us know using the comment box below.

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